By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
The folks behind organizing the movies at the Victoria Film Festival (taking place Feb 2 to 11th) never fails to amaze with the diversity offered. The 2018 show will not only enthuse independent film aficionados but also appease with movies not only from the land of the rising sun but also the emerald isle. The quirky documentary School Life was previewed. Anyone interested in a lesser-known version of Hogwarts life (sans magic and adventure) will find a different story here.
The opening gala promises to whisk audiences to Scotland with Waterboys. This comedy-drama will make its Canadian premiere here in Victoria, British Columbia. Not to be confused with the band of the same name, perhaps we might get surprised with the party taking place at The Bay Centre‘s Centre Court following this movie.
Special events like Sips & Cinema and the Virtual Reality Workshop are added bonuses. The special guest this year is Armistead Maupin (Tales of the City). Aiden Gillen (Game of Thrones) and Cory Bowles (Trailer Park Boys) round out the initial round of announcements. Gillen can be considered to be playing himself in the film Pickups, a drama about the bizarre life of a jobbing actor suffering from insomnia. Bowles is making his feature film directorial debut with Bad Cop. (link goes to showtimes)
My picks from this year’s show include:
Mary and the Witch’s Flower
メアリと魔女の花
Sun| Feb 11 | 11:00PM | The Vic
Anime fans patiently waiting for this film to return to the Pacific Northwest did not have long since it last showed in Vancouver in October. This work is adapted from the children’s novel, The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart and former Studio Ghibli producers and animators are involved! This work follows the story of the titular character who finds a flower that gives her magical abilities. The adventure may seem like a Cinderella tale, because the ability only lasts for a night, but there’s more to enjoy. This presentation will be the English dub.
(cont’d on next page)
Les Affamés
Sat| Feb 3 | 9:15PM | Capital 6
Gallows humour and twitchy surrealism describe the zombies in this Québécois film. Just what that means depends on the undercurrent running throughout this film as the walking dead wander around in a trance, not quite after brains but not also favouring human meat. Well, they do want to eat. After all, just give them a home where the buffalo roam (open pastures), and they can still be a threat!
Shorts Program: BC
Weds | Feb 7 | 7:00PM | Odeon 5
Indigenous
Sun | Feb 4 | 9:00PM | The Vic
From animated shorts to documentaries, this 90-minute collection of works collects a plethora of talent to spotlight. Among the list includes rising filmmaker/animator Denver Jackson with The Wishing Jar, a beautifully illustrated work about a young girl chasing dreams and trying to catch a falling start with a Teddy Bear companion.
The National Film Board of Canada is well represented in this festival, with full-length documentaries and brief interludes. Shop Class is a very humorous piece which looks at the hurdles a young teen has to face to make the grade. This author does not have to relate as I loved the latter; I miss the days of hammering wood and crafting with my hands. Mind you, I did not have to worry about trying to impress a girl, like this fictional character had to. This tale was a joy to preview. Another work is Three Thousand by artist and animator Asinnajaq. This mixed media work is described as experimental cinema at its finest and it spotlights Inuit concerns. The illustrations offered here is very alluring and the Indigenous program promises to spotlight many a filmmaker coming to the fore. Other works to be featured include My Yiddish Papi and Hedgehog’s Home.
The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches
La petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes
Sun| Feb 4 | 9:34PM | Odeon 5
According to TIFF’s online guide, this film is a gothic drama “freely adapted” from Gaétan Soucy’s critically acclaimed novel.
Set in rural Quebec in the 1930s, the film examines the isolated existence of the Soissons family. The father drinks himself blind every night and delivers decidedly unhinged sermons to his progeny in a makeshift chapel in their house. His sudden death leaves the children to fend for themselves, but gradually they begin to question their father’s teachings and uncover disturbing family secrets. … One Part horror movie, another part scathing social criticism, it is driven by truly daring performances, especially from its two young leads.
Bombshell
(The Hedy Lamarr Story)
Sat| Feb 3 | 3:30 PM | Star Cinema (Sidney, BC)
Sun| Feb 4 | 6:15 PM | Silvercity 3
From Tribeca Film Festival’s Guide:
Startlet. Screen Siren. The Most Beautiful Woman in the World. All phrases used to describe 1940’s Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr. Alexandra Dean’s illuminating documentary adds Inventor to the list. Known for her matchless beauty and electric screen persona, Lamarr’s legion of fans never knew she possessed such a beautiful mind. An Austrian Jewish émigré who acted by day and drew mechanical and electronic inventions by night, Lamarr came up with a “secret communication system” to help the Allies to beat the Nazis. Weaving in Lamarr’s own voice from archival recordings, Dean reveals how Lamarr gave her patent to the Navy, received no credit for her contributions, and wound up impoverished in her latter years. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story is a film for lovers of history, Hollywood and science.
Mountain
Fri| Feb 2 | 6:15 PM | Silvercity 3
Sun| Feb 4 | 1:00 PM | Silvercity 3
This documentary narrated by Willem DeFoe sets out to explain this simple marvel of Mother Nature. There is something primal about mountains. Whether that’s with Mt. Everest or Ismoil Somoni Peak, to understand them requires the talents of director Jennifer Peedom (Sherpa) and writer Robert McFarlane (Mountains of the Mind) to offer an interpretation.
Ethel and Earnest
Sat| Feb 3 | 4:00PM | Victoria Conference Center
Wed| Feb 7 | 7:00PM | Star Cinema
This animated drama is based on the book by British author and illustrator Raymond Briggs and it looks at the most defining moments of the 20th Century from the perspective of two working-class individuals. Their trials and tribulations may not be at the forefront all the time, but the look at everything that goes on may well echo different sentiments that define a PIXAR film. For some odd reason, Up! come to mind.
Sammy Davis Jr., I Gotta Be Me
Thurs| Feb 8 | 6:30PM | The Vic
Thurs| Feb 8 | 7:00PM | Star Cinema (Sidney, BC)
This documentary looks at the life of an entertainer, dancer, showman and extraordinaire! Filmmaker Sam Pollard looks at the life of Davis Jr. through archival footage and recent interviews. Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg,
The Great Buddha+
Thurs | Feb 8 | 9:00 PM | The Vic
To explain why this title has a plus sign may well give away this quirky film’s greatest secret. Instead, this product looks at the life of two dimwits, Belly Button and Pickle, as they accidentally uncover more than they should one night as they are hanging out. At Button’s urging, Pickle discovers a lot going on in the dashcam of his boss’ vehicle. Soon, they are caught up in a scandal involving Taiwan’s business, political and religious elites.
